One type of fishing lure favored by many anglers is a bladed jig type of lure, which includes a weighted jig body from which a hook extends and to which a blade is attached opposite the hook. The purpose of the blade, among other things, is to move side-to-side to provide the lure with heavy vibration and to shelter the jig body and prevent the hook from being snagged on an underwater obstacle, such as grass or a branch. If the lure becomes snagged, the angler may seek to dislodge it forcefully from the obstacle, but such efforts to retrieve the lure scare away the fish, reducing the likelihood of a successful catch. Further, if the fishing line breaks during the struggle to free the snagged lure, the lure can be lost.
The attachment mechanism for securing the blade to the jig body affects the movement of the blade, as the fishing lure is pulled through the water. The blade is typically provided with a single attachment hole through which a wire loop, or eyelet, extending from the jig body is positioned. One or more intermediate rings may also be used between the wire loop and the blade. In lures of this type, the blade edge proximate the jig body is positioned within the wire loop (or the intermediate ring). The proximity of the attachment hole to the blade edge, the size of the attachment hole in comparison with the outer diameter of the wire loop, and the distance between the attachment hole and the jig body affect the range of the side-to-side motion of the blade over the jig body. The bigger the inside diameter of the wire loop, the more side-to-side movement the blade exhibits.
It has been found that the freedom of movement of the blade associated with connecting the eyelet or wire loop through a single attachment hole can result in an unacceptable amount of “play” between the blade and the weighted jig body. The use of an intermediate ring increases the play in the fishing lure. If there is too much play, the fish may not fully engage the hook and may evade being caught. Many bladed lures with a single attachment point exhibit a 270-degree up-and-back motion, which creates the potential for the jig body to roll over as it passes over an obstacle. This rollover can lead to snagging.
Because of the aggravation associated with snagging and potentially losing a bladed lure, most fishermen choose not to fish these lures in regions known to have heavy cover (that is, areas with ample branches or thick vegetation), where fish tend to congregate. Instead, fisherman position their lures to be above or around the heavy cover area.
Since the fish gather in heavy cover areas, a bladed fishing lure that could navigate through heavy cover without experiencing jig body and hook rollover would reduce the risk of snagging and, therefore, would be highly advantageous.
Thus, the fishing experience would be improved by a fishing lure that has a controlled amount of up-and-back blade movement to promote firm engagement of the fish and to resist snagging by preventing rollover of the jig body.